Liza M. Rodriguez, PhD

Improving Education for System-Involved Youth

Liza Rodriguez currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Performance Management and Technology at the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services. As Owner and Principal of Rodriguez-Lavergne Consulting LLC, she also provides leadership and management consulting services to nonprofits and foundations in Philadelphia and Puerto Rico.

Prior to her current role, Liza served as the Director of Performance Management for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, leading efforts to improve how city government measures and tracks the effectiveness of its services. In her prior roles in the government and nonprofit sectors, Liza oversaw research operations at Research for Action, managed the capacity-building practice of the Public Health Management Corporation, served as Director of Communications for the Department of Human Services, and was a Manager of Workforce Development for Congreso de Latinos Unidos. As a Stoneleigh Fellow from 2008-2009, Liza led the research, planning, and development of the Department of Human Services’ Education Support Center, a collaborative initiative between DHS and the School District of Philadelphia to improve the educational stability and achievement of children and youth in out-of-home placements. Liza began her career as a bilingual education teacher with Teach for America. She is a 2015 recipient of the Eisenhower Zhi-Xing Fellowship.

Liza holds a BA in Latin American and African studies from Duke University, an MA in Latin American studies from the University of Texas at Austin, and a PhD in urban education and leadership from Temple University.

Stoneleigh Fellow

2009 - 2010

Mayor's Office of Education, City of Philadelphia

Current Position

Deputy Commissioner for Performance Management and Accountability; Owner and Principal Department of Human Services, City of Philadelphia; Rodriguez-Lavergne Consulting LLC

New article by @danibostick in @TheWeek on why we can't leave behind child victims in the #MeToo movement. Another powerful voice on this issue? Stoneleigh's own Emerging Leader @KeeTobarESQ @ @CLSphila. Read her piece on why #MeToo must include #GirlsToo: https://t.co/LrK4Z8RNTj

Who We Are

The Stoneleigh Foundation was founded in 2006 by John and Chara Haas to improve the life outcomes of Philadelphia's most vulnerable youth. We meet our mission by awarding Fellowships to exceptional leaders who advance change in the systems that serve these young people.

Our Priorities

We seek to improve life outcomes for our community’s most vulnerable youth by advancing change in the systems that serve them. Because we believe that youth are best served when systems work together to holistically address their needs, Stoneleigh prioritizes work designed to strengthen coordination between or among these systems.

Apply

We award two types of Fellowships to exceptional individuals who work within and alongside youth-serving systems to catalyze change. Our Fellows undertake projects that enhance how systems work together, improve practice, and generate new knowledge through action-oriented research.